JULY WEATHER IN ASIA
 

Impulsively, I booked travel to Hong Kong for July.......and now I have heard from everyone just how miserable the weather will be during that time. We had planned to visit one other location while we were in Southeast Asia --- but they all seem so bad weatherwise. Just on the basis of weather alone, which becomes less bad? I know this is a stupid way to plan a trip, but we've never been and any of the places I mention are places we'd like to visit at some point..... Beijing & Shanghai? Bangkok? Vietnam? Thanks so much!

They're all hot and humid in July. Bangkok and Vietnam probably more so. Don't let it ruin your trip. Try to do most of your outdoor activities early and in the evening and in the mid afternoon, either head to your hotel pool or go somewhere air-conditioned. Even if you're out and about in the middle of the day, you can always find cover--a cool temple, a cafe to grab a cold drink. Just take it slow, dress in light cotton and bring bottles of water with you when walking around. You'll be fine. In that part of the world, heat and humidity come with the territory.

Even though Shanghai and Beijing are to the north of Hong Kong, they are just as hot as HK in the summer, and less air-conditioning.

If you don't like the heat, stay away from most of China. But there are places with higher elevations that you may consider. For example, Kunming in Yunnan province has an average high temperature in July of 75F! Compared to 88F in Shanghai, 87F in Beijing, or 89F in Hong Kong.

Vietnam is a huge country and includes mountains and beaches so you could probably find parts which are not as hot and humid. HK your biggest danger is overcast, rainy days which really make it bleak...but in general HK is a fun city so sure you will find stuff to enjoy anyway!

Take a look at weatherbase.com and worldclimate.com for historical average temps and rainfall. Much of SE Asia is hot and humid most of the year, but it is a huge area and weather does differ. There are also monsoons in the summer and winter months in different parts of the area. Fro example, July in Phuket on the west coast of Thailand is very rainy, while July on the east coast of Thailand is fine and dry. It is hard to pick a month which is going to be good for all places. Hong Kong has an extremely pleasant “winter” from about late November through early March, with temps in the 70s F and little rain. Conversely, Beijing and Shanghai are cool to freezing in those months, which may not make it ideal time to travel.

The cities you have mentioned will be quite hot and humid in July. In addition, there are some of the peak travel months for foreign tourist, esp in Beijing and Hong Kong. It will be quite crowded. If you have any flexibility in your schedule, you might want to go before or after US school vacations to avoid the largest crowds. If you can’t change, I would not worry overly about it, just be prepared for very hot and humid weather, a good chance of rain in Hong Kong, and some crowds.

We were in HK in July 3 years ago. Very humid. we took waterproofs because of the rain stats but never used them. It only rained once when we were there.
Are you looking for a city for your second destination?

I agree with what Cicerone says about the weather, but the biggest crowd in Hong Kong is during the two weeklong holidays around 5/1 and 10/1, when tens of thousands of Mainland Chinese come for a visit.

This fall, it'll be worse as the Disneyland Hong Kong will be open in late September. Expect lots of Chinese tourists throughout the whole fall, especially during the 10/1 holiday.

Otherwise, crowds are not a problem at Hong Kong sites.